I Shall Be Redeemed

" A portrait is not made in the camera but on either side of it." Edward Steichen.

The first thing most people say to me when I am about to take a portrait of them is that they hate having their photograph taken. You can usually tell within the first 30 seconds of meeting them if you are going to click with them and produce some great shots which capture their personality. Some people take longer than others but most end up having enjoyed the experience more than they thought they would.

The job of a portrait photographer isn't just to set up the lights or operate the camera - it's about putting people at ease and connecting with them, even for a short period of time. You can tell by looking at a portrait, the relationship the sitter has had with the photographer for that brief moment when the image was made. What happens on both sides of the camera is evident in the final image.

Jamie Rae is the Chief Executive Officer of Redeem, an international leader in recovery, refurbishment and recycling of consumer electronic devices. Photographed at the company headquarters in Falkirk.
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Ollie and Forbes and Twitter

The power of social media. I found a new client recently (or they found me) through using Twitter. For the past six months I have been posting tips, comments and links to my website and PhotoBlog. Edinburgh based on-line children's gift service Ollie & Forbes began to follow me and before long commissioned me to carry out product photography for their website which goes live early next month.

Client Quote:

'Just a quick note to say thank you very much for the photo's, they are great!! Really appreciate all your hard work. We have just done a test upload and they look fantastic, so pleased!'

Gillian Burke
Owner
Ollie & Forbes
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The Journey Starts Here

I shot this portrait of Grant Rumbles, Chief Executive officer of Exova - a worldwide company which provides testing services for industry - a few months back. The portrait was taken in Grant's office which I temporarily transformed into a studio using a black background, studio lights and reflectors.

The shoot was commissioned by Edinburgh based White Light Media who create fantastic magazines for the private and public sector which includes The Exova Magazine which has just been published.
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Orkney Venus Tour starts at Edinburgh Castle

It may sound like a heavy metal band but in fact The Orkney Venus is the earliest human figure ever found in Scotland and is going on display at Edinburgh Castle until the 1st November.
Photographed this morning at the Castle is seven year old Afra Manicini. Kids go free to the exhibition and the castle if they say the magic word 'Orkney' when they arrive.
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One from the Vaults

Hamish Martin, Managing Director of Inverarity Vaults based just outside Biggar who produce whisky and import fine wines from all over the world. I was commissioned to produce corporate images of the staff for PR and press use.
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The Homecoming Sessions

The Homecoming Traditional Music Sessions have been running all over Scotland since March this year and continue until November. This one too place at Jenny Ha's pub on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh last night. More information on upcoming sessions can be found here.

It was a bit tricky to photograph the session as the pub was pretty dark so I lit the interior with a couple of remote flashes to make the image a bit more punchy. I rarely use direct flash and prefer off-camera flash to produce more interesting photographs.
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St Andrews Community Hospital

St Andrews Community Hospital in Fife bathed in blue sky yesterday. I love October when the sun often strong, the shadows long and the sky blue. These exterior shots were commissioned by the construction company to demonstrate how the building related to the surroundings.
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Chaaaaaarge!

I was at Craigmillar Castle near Edinburgh yesterday shooting the cover for a guidebook. It was an all day shoot which involved four models and was great fun, if hard work. It made me think about the role of the photographer in an assignment like this. The photographer has to have many skills such as director, stylist, lighting techician as well as thinking about the technical requirements from a photography point of view; ISO, shutter speed, depth of field... And of course working closely with the client to achieve the look and feel of the image required. This is why I love being a photographer.
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Having a Ball

Primary Six teacher Graham Mackay Bruce and professional singer Ceri-Ann Gregory brought the house down at the recent Erskine Stewart's Melville Schools Homecoming Ball at the Shearton Hotel. This is the second year I have photographed the fundraiser which aims provide life changing bursaries fo children from all backgrounds.

Client quote: 'I got the CD today and the photos look great - Thanks so much!'
Suzi Grimes, Development Coordinator, ESMS
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Four Seasons in One Day

Challenging shoot for Historic Scotland at Skara Brae in Orkney yesterday which involved horizontal rain, sleet and hailstones. The job was to produce images for use on visitor guides and advertising. The models were fantastic - Mike also works as a Bryan Ferry tribute singer and Linda is a former Miss Scotland and Tennents Lovely!
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Urquart Castle

Urquart Castle early in the morning with the mist rising from Loch Ness. Perfect day for capturing images for a new range of Historic Scotland brochures and visitor guides.
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